Devices for unscrambling a bulk supply of jumbled articles into one or more oriented single file lines are well known in the art and include many designs and features. One type of prior art system is represented by the rotary or radial feeders disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,707,217 (Sharbon), 3,101,832 (Wyle), 4,821,920 (Lin et al.) and 3,912,120 (Hoppmann), and in European publication No. 243,633 (Hoppmann). A disadvantage of centrifugal sorting methods is that the limited amount of time and radial distance makes orienting some articles, e.g., those only slightly asymmetrical, difficult if not impossible.
Other prior art systems such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,480,740 (Wurmli) and 3,982,637 (Roetgerink) disclose devices for orienting conical articles such as bobbins. In Wurmli, one of a pair of wheels engages the wider end of each bobbin to move the narrower end toward tipping pins. In Roetgerink, supporting members are designed such that narrower ends of the bobbins fall therebetween before wider ends of the bobbins. Proper functioning of these devices appears to depend upon the specific geometry, e.g. conical, of the articles being oriented.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,191 (Kath) discloses a device which supports capsules on a spaced apart pair of fulcrum blades. One or the other blade is moved transversely away from the capsule, depending upon which end is sensed as the cap end, and the capsule is permitted to fall. This device disadvantageously requires a fairly large number of interrelated moving parts.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,362,234 (McDonald), 2,970,683 (Crosby) and 3,722,659 (Aidlin) disclose devices which disadvantageously generate two rows of oriented articles from a single infeed row of articles. Central wedges, divider plates or the like are used to tip articles to either side thereof depending upon their alignment in the single file.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,815 (Skeels) discloses a swivel hook which enters open ends of bottles to transfer them to the far side of a funnel but can not enter bottle bottoms which fall into the near side of the funnel.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,331,486 (Towry) and 3,797,640 (Aidlin) disclose devices which inefficiently reject and recycle "misaligned" articles rather than orienting them.